More
by VioletHills
Summary: A series of season four episode additions that often become thematic extrapolations.  All Castle-Beckett flavoured.  Currently: 409.  Letting go.
1. Kick

404: _Kick __the __Ballistics_ addition (actually more of an imagined future extrapolation). This one's a little dark. Rated a strong **T **_(for __the __end __of __section __II)__**.**_

Seven months later. 3XK reappears.

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**X.**

("Mr. Castle, it's a shame Alexis wasn't at school today. That's okay – I'm sure Detective Beckett will be happy to take her place.")

"Where is she? _Where __is __she?_" Castle yelled into the bullpen. Eyes wild, he addressed nobody in particular and everyone in general.

He got a lot of responses as the team started reporting back to Esposito.

"She's not at her apartment."

"Not with Dr. Parish."

"Not at the gym…"

"…or the shooting range…"

"…and nobody's found her car."

"Stop telling me where she's _not_!" Castle said.

Everybody ignored Castle's outburst except for Ryan. "We need to rule out where she isn't Castle," he replied, in what could only be described as controlled panic, "So that we can start figuring out where she _could_ _be_."

**IX.**

("Oh, I've done my research on you, Mr. Castle. And Katherine Beckett is _so __much __more_ than a dear friend and colleague, isn't she? How much would it hurt you to know that she's suffering right now… all because you weren't clever enough to catch me?")

It had been 48 hours since that first phone call and Castle had been running around the city following up on leads – sometimes with Ryan and Esposito, but mostly by himself. He kept having these flights of fancy where he found Kate all by himself, where he beat up Tyson and then pulled her out into the safe afternoon sunlight.

Now, he was back at the precinct, flipping through reports and papers on Kate's desk with jittery feet and shaky hands. In fact, his whole body felt a little buzzed. He glanced at the extra-large cup of coffee to his right and thought it was troublesome that he couldn't remember how many he'd had in the last twelve hours.

"Castle!" Gates' voice startled him and he added 'jumpy' to his current list of sensations.

"What?" he answered, getting up and turning around to face her.

"Get out."

He gaped at her. "You're joking, right?"

"You're distracting the team and you're being disruptive to this entire process. You are no longer helping; you are now in the way. So, you can either get out or I'll make you get out."

"You can't—"

"—No, Mr. Castle, _you _can't. I'm not one to make empty threats. Trust me – I've got a lot of cops at my disposal."

She walked away before he could come up with a defence for himself.

**VIII.**

("I won't be calling you about a ransom, Mr. Castle. That's not what I want.")

They found a body the next morning: female, strangled, peacefully placed on the floor of her apartment.

He nearly cried when they told him it wasn't Kate, then felt horrible for thanking God that somebody had to die in her place.

They set up a murder board at the precinct even though it was obvious who their killer was. This new board sat side-by-side with the board detailing Kate's kidnapping.

"Maybe we shouldn't be looking at them together," Ryan pondered slowly.

Esposito turned to face him. "What're you talking about?"

"Finding Tyson doesn't guarantee that we'll find Beckett."

"You don't think we could _make _him tell us where she is?" Esposito said with clenched fists.

"I'm sure we could eventually," Ryan answered, though his voice held a hint of uncertainty, "But in that time, a million things could have happened…" He broke off, letting Esposito and Castle fill in the rest of the sentence.

Castle shook his head to clear away the disturbing images that had just flooded his mind. "Are you saying that Tyson would leave Kate? Unguarded?"

"It's possible…" Esposito said, "He's too paranoid to have an accomplice, too methodical and particular to let somebody else do the killing _for_ him…"

"…so, he had to have left Kate at least during that time in order to commit his latest murder," Ryan finished.

"It's a distraction."

"Excuse me?" Esposito turned around to face the Captain, who had since walked up to stare at the dual whiteboards.

"He's using Detective Beckett as a distraction – to keep our concentrations divided so that he can continue to stalk and kill these women," Gates explained.

"And it's working," said Velàzquez. She handed Esposito a photo of a young blonde girl – no older than 25 – and a police report. "Parents heard about the Triple Killer on the news. Fits the profile."

Gates yanked the documents out of her hand. "You and Casey go canvas her neighbourhood," she said, "Maybe somebody saw _something_ this time."

"He won't kill her," Castle murmured, still thinking over what Gates had said earlier.

"What did you say, Castle?" Ryan asked.

"Tyson won't kill her," he repeated, "Not yet and not in the same way that he killed these women… it's not his style. She's not his type."

Esposito nodded slowly. "She's safe until he gets what he came here for…"

Castle's lips were a thin line. "…three more victims."

**VII.**

("I see you've figured out my strategy. _Un_fortunately, you're too late. Just like last time. So let me ask you this, Mr. Castle: is this enough death for you? Or would you like one more? …Oh… oh, no wait… Let's make that _two_ more.")

"Why is he doing this?" Eyes red and curled up into the corner of his couch, Castle looked raw.

Martha occupied her own seat beside him, the lack of colour in her current wardrobe reflecting her own state of distress. "This is not a sane man, Richard. There may be no other reason aside from that."

"It could have been Alexis," he whispered. "I know I shouldn't be thankful for that bu—"

"—Richard, of course you can be thankful for that." She tilted her head to look at him, "Even so, I don't think this is any easier for you than if this madman _had_taken me or, god forbid, Alexis."

"No," he shook his head, "it isn't. How could it be?" He blinked back as much emotion as he could, "I love her just the same."

**VI.**

("Here's the deal, Mr. Castle. I can give you the location of the missing girl or I can give you the location of _your_ girl. It's a tricky one, I know, so I won't waste your time. You have an hour to decide. Tick tock.")

"We have to choose the girl."

"Are you _kidding_?" Castle said, rounding on Esposito. "We have to choose _Kate_."

"Castle, Esposito's right," Ryan said, scrubbing at his face, "Beckett would never forgive us if we chose her."

"Tyson is going to kill her, guys. He's going to _kill_ her."

Esposito shook his head. "Not yet."

"And that's good enough for you?" Castle practically screamed.

"It has to be," Esposito answered, unfazed, "He's playing with us, Castle. More importantly, he's playing with _you_."

"You know if he gives us the name and address of this girl, he's just going to go out and find another one to kidnap and kill, right?" Castle asked, "He's the Triple Killer for a reason – he won't stop until he's got his third victim."

"Yes, but we'll be able to save _this_ girl," Esposito said, "We have a chance to save her so she doesn't have to be a victim."

"What makes you think she'll be alive when we find her? Tyson already has her – how do we know she isn't already dead?"

Ryan shook his head. "That isn't how he works."

"He's a psychopath!" Castle yelled. "We don't _know_ how he works!"

Lanie's voice came up behind them. "Castle," she said, "Are you seriously considering the other option? I know you how much you love Kate, but I also know _you_." Lanie's voice was quiet and dejected. "I want to be selfish, too, Castle; you won't believe how much I want to pick my best friend over some stranger, but we can't do it. You know we can't do it. Besides the fact that it wouldn't be what Kate would want us to do, it would also be unfair. Logic tells us that Kate will be safe for now. You said so yourself. He won't make Kate his 'third victim', so to speak."

"Beckett's his leverage," Esposito broke in, "We still have time to find her, but this third girl…"

"… she's out of time," Castle finished, disheartened.

**V.**

("You and New York's finest did a bang-up job with that rescue. I saw you from my window. Quite a view I have up here, if I do say so myself. Well, it was nice chatting with you, Rick – can I call you Rick? – but I have some errands I need to run.")

"We have a picture," Ryan said, clipping it onto the board with more force than necessary. "That bastard went a little crazy with the plastic surgery."

"Good job, gentlemen," Gates said.

"We've circulated it to all the major news stations," Esposito said.

"Now, we just have to wait until somebody calls with a tip." Castle's voice sounded less than enthusiastic. He knew Tyson had ways of making himself scarce. He wouldn't have evaded them so many times if it were as easy as a pedestrian pointing him out on the street.

"Castle, I think your phone is ringing." Ryan pointed to the vibrating iPhone hidden underneath some papers.

Castle's breath fell short. "It's a new voicemail."

Esposito and Ryan both tensed. Voicemails were Tyson's mode of communication.

This time, though, the voice on the other end of the line made him almost drop his phone.

**IV.**

("Castle! He wants you to find me. The son-of-a-bitch wants you to find me. Track the phone of Maude Paulson – I'm in her apartment – I think he's going to kill her or he already has. I don't know but he's given me something, Castle, and I can't save her. I can't save her. Please come. Castle, I love you too. Okay? Please hurry. I love you.")

Castle had fallen mute since the message had started and he didn't move after it ended. Gates had already wrenched the phone out of his hand and Ryan – having heard the message since Castle had put it on speakerphone – was busy searching up Maude Paulson's whereabouts.

It was Esposito who finally shook him out of it. "She's okay," he said, "Beckett is alive and she's okay."

"No," Castle replied, "She's won't be okay until I can see her and touch her and hold her."

"Castle!" Gates shouted from across the bullpen. "What's your voicemail password?"

Castle rushed over to the Captain. "Why? What happened?"

She didn't have to say anything. It was there, blinking on his phone: _1 __new __voicemail._

**III.**

("So, this is it. Will you be too late once again? You're on the clock, Rick, and this time it's not just mine. I've rigged Ms. Paulson's building to blow and according to my watch, you have exactly twenty-two minutes and thirty-four seconds to make it across town. You won't be able to save the hapless Ms. Paulson, but your girlfriend is still alive and she's eagerly awaiting your arrival. The countdown's already started. Better run.")

Esposito grimaced. "I jinxed it."

"What's the address Ryan?" Castle shouted, frantic, "We need that address! We need to notify the people in that building!"

"He knows, Castle," Esposito said, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop Castle's forward motion.

Less than three minutes later, they were in the police cruiser. With sirens blaring and Esposito navigating the roads like a stunt driver, Castle mapped the distance between the precinct and Maude Paulson's apartment on his phone.

They would either just make it or be witness to a spectacular explosion.

**II.**

("Now wasn't that fun, Rick? I really didn't know how this was all going to end so it was doubly exciting for me. Don't worry; I'll let you have your moment. Trust you'll hear from me soon.")

"Kate?" he whispered, peering into the darkened bedroom.

"The door creaks, Castle," Kate replied, voice raspy with sleep.

"Sorry." He removed his jacket and socks and shoes. He had left the house in his sleepwear – plaid pyjama bottoms and a faded t-shirt of some rock band.

"It's okay. I was awake. Mostly." She watched him pad over to her bed. "You should have called."

"Then that all but guarantees I would wake you up."

"So, this is you being thoughtful?"

"Aren't I always?" He saw her smile even in the darkness.

"Are you cold?" she asked just as he was about to lift up the covers.

"Quite possibly," he replied, "Colder than you, definitely."

"I should get you a separate comforter so that you'd only be allowed to get under mine when you're the same temperature as me."

"There are ways to make us the same temperature, you know."

"Not fast enough."

"Wanna bet?"

Stretching her right arm out of its warm confines, she grasped one of Castle's. "Come on," she said, pulling him down, "Get in."

She hissed when his feet met hers. "Sorry," he murmured, then nudged the tip of his nose against the tip of hers. "At least our noses are both cold."

She kissed him chastely. "At least there's that."

He brought her close, close, close, like he always did on these late nights. He kissed her forehead and breathed her in. When he first did it, she had told him it was weird but now, she only relaxed against him – let him use her scent as a way to reassure himself that she was still with him. "I love you, you know," he said softly.

She lightly grasped at the front of his t-shirt. "I know."

"So much, Kate," he continued, "So much it hurts sometimes."

"Don't make me cry," she whispered, "I'll wake up with puffy eyes."

"Don't go to work tomorrow," he said, "Postpone it for one more day." His lips drifted down to her neck; he kissed across 'til he reached the tip of her shoulder. "Stay here and let me love you. Please, Kate… please."

She brushed her fingers through his hair. "I can't and you know that." She readjusted her body so that he was now hovering above her, his forearms on either side of her torso where his fingers could caress her skin. "Anyway, you're going in with me so we'll still be together."

She helped him pull her tank top off, the sudden chill quickly allayed by his mouth. "It's not the same," he said, his palm massaging her breasts, "Too many people."

She laughed breathlessly. "Since when has Richard Castle not loved the attention of an adoring crowd?"

"Since I met you."

"Oh, you've got your serious face on and everything." She succeeded in pushing his pyjama bottoms down with her legs before he stopped her abruptly.

"I just need you, Kate. Just you."

She lifted her hands up to cup his face, "We've had a really intense couple of weeks, Castle. This all-consuming fear and infatuation and desperation and yearning – you won't feel like this forever."

"Kate, I—"

She silenced him with a finger against his lips. "But I'll _love_ you forever and that'll be better."

The crease in his forehead disappeared and he finally let her discard his boxers and the rest of her clothes. She traced the lines of his body while his eyes took her in. She looked better than she did a week ago and much, _much_ better than two weeks ago.

"Your mind is going to the bad place again," she said, trailing a hand down his front.

He twisted his body slightly out of her grasp. "I'll remember to concentrate this time," he murmured back.

She whimpered when his finger dipped into her warmth and hummed when he added another. He soaked them in her wetness, careful in his progression: in and out, harder and deeper, faster and faster until she was gasping.

He kissed his way up her flushed body, tangling their fingers together when he reached her lips.

"Let's keep doing this forever, too," he breathed out, feeling Kate grip his hands when he slid into her.

"Yes," she moaned, arching her body.

She bit his shoulder when she came, soothing it with a kiss after. "As nice as this feels," she said, spooning up against him, "you have to stop checking up on me in the middle of the night."

"I wouldn't have to keep doing it if you'd agree to move in with me," he said.

He said he would ask her every week but her answer this week remained the same. "It's too soon."

"When will it not be 'too soon'?"

"I don't know, Castle." She tilted her head to kiss him. "Ask me again next week."

He wrapped his arm around her just a little bit tighter. "Okay."

**I.**

("I'll see you soon, Rick… and tell _Katie_ 3XK says 'hi'.")


	2. Beholder

405: _Eye __of __the __Beholder_ addition. Kate and Castle at Remy's.

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"You know, I think I misjudged Serena Kaye." Kate says, playing with the straw in her soda. The two of them are waiting for their burgers and fries.

"Are you only saying this because she's no longer working with us?" Castle responds, a smirk on his face. Kate knows it's because there's no way he has missed her proprietary temper over the past few days.

"No," she huffs, "I'm not. I think she's very intelligent and… resourceful."

"Is that a euphemism for something?"

Kate takes a sip of her drink.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." He looks like he's about to ask her something when their food arrives. Before she even gets the chance to ask, he passes her the ketchup and mustard.

"Thanks," Kate says before proceeding to squeeze more of both condiments onto her burger. "They never put enough."

"Yeah, so you say." He chuckles. "Notice how everybody else seems to think otherwise?"

Kate glances up at him. "Oh, really? _Everybody_ else?"

He rolls his eyes. They've had this conversation before. "So, how much paperwork do you have to finish before you can really close this case?"

"A couple of hours, depending on how much I can pawn off onto Ryan and Esposito." She pops a fry into her mouth, chewing a bit, before adding, "You don't have to stay for all that."

"You say that but—" He mimics her action "—you know that I will."

He says it like it's nothing, but the subtext is there – like it always is.

"Besides," Castle continues, "You're saving me from my mother's latest ploy."

Kate laughs. "What's she making you do now?"

"She has her acting class over tonight—"

"—Is she making you play a role that requires costumes?" Kate asks, with a grin.

"N_o_," Castle answers quickly, looking horrified at the thought, "She claims the class could use my expertise as a writer but really, she's just trying to set me up with one of the actresses."

"Oh." Kate raises her eyebrows a bit and then takes a huge bite out of her burger.

"My mother is the worst matchmaker," Castle rambles on, "Although, maybe she's reconsidered since I told her about Serena."

Kate swallows. "So, she approves of Serena?"

"Hey! I don't need my mother's 'approval'."

"Uh huh."

"_Any_way, I'm not dating Serena but I think my mother is under the impression that I, at least, asked her out again. Therefore, off the market and no set-up needed."

"Will you ever?"

"'Will I ever' what?"

"Ask her out again?"

"Who? Serena?"

Kate gives him a 'duh' look.

Castle contemplates over a fry but she can tell that he had an answer immediately after she had asked her question. "No," he shakes his head, "I don't think I will. Like I said at the precinct—can't afford it."

She smiles at his attempt for lightness, but she knows it's just that. Behind his quip, there's a real reason why he wouldn't consider dating Serena Kaye. To Kate, it feels like high stakes poker except the game is rigged. The next move, the outcome, everything is in her hands because she's taken a peek at his cards. She's not ready but it's unfair to make him wait until she is.

"Castle?" she starts, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

"Yeah?" he sees her expression and suddenly stops eating.

_He__'__s __too __attuned __to __the __changes __in __her __mood_, she thinks. "You know I'd be okay with you and Serena – if you wanted to date her, that is."

Kate had expected relief, or something like it, to appear on Castle's face. What she gets, though, is more like disappointment.

"Look, Kate, I know I asked you before about Serena but it's really not a thing anymore."

"I—"

Castle cuts her off "—it's not just me, either."

Kate closes her mouth, confused with the new information.

He nods, as if to verify. "And it has nothing to do with me not being hot enough for her."

She laughs. "Oh really?"

He nods again and sobers. "She told me—" his whole gaze focuses "—she doesn't steal things that belong to someone else."

She stares. She looks away. "Oh."

"Yeah."

Her eyes dart back to his. "Do you want to finish my fries?" It's the first neutral thing to come to mind.

"What?" he looks down at their plates. Then, "Are you full?"

"Mhm. I'm not going to bother with a take-out container."

"You'll regret it later," he says, accepting her change in topic without comment.

She gets up to pay the bill and he trails behind her. "Are you really coming back to the precinct with me?"

"Do you think we should grab something for Ryan and Esposito on the way?" he says, effectively answering her question with another.

She smiles at the thought. "Nah, I'm sure they've already ordered in."

They weave their way through harried commuters on the sidewalk and can't talk until they've made it, once more, onto the steps of the 12th. Opting to take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, it's on the middle of the second flight that Castle suddenly pauses.

"I didn't get to say this earlier," he says.

Kate is two steps above him. She looks down, prepares herself because she knows he's about to say something that will make her do something reckless.

He walks up the two steps to meet her. "Just tell me when you're ready," he says and she thinks he's asking in regard to their current conversation, but then, he squeezes her hand. "I'll wait."

He lets her go, resumes climbing the stairs, and she feels like he's claimed a part of her she'll never get back.

Still, something about her sense of guilt and responsibility and she hears herself replying to him. "What I was saying earlier..." her voice resonates and amplifies in the stairwell, making her sound surer than she feels "…I'm telling you that you don't have to."

It's his turn to look down at her. "I know," he says, "but you're worth it."

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* * *

><p>AN: The idea for the format of this story is not an original one – an author (_netherfield_) in the _Gilmore __Girls_ fandom did it first. I am now using it as both a writing exercise (to make sure I keep writing this year) and as fixes, imaginations, and/or supplements to each episode. As such, most of these will be stand-alones (and the ones for episodes 401-404 are forthcoming).

Still, I hope you tell me what you think.

* * *

><p>P.S.: <em>Separation <em>_Anxiety _& _Eyes __Open_ will **not **remain incomplete forever – I was working on them steadily for so long that, when I took a step back, decided I needed to write something novel to re-rev up that momentum for something erstwhile. Thank you for your kindness and patience with me these past few months.


	3. Demons

406: _Demons_ addition. After their late night adventure to the McClaren Mansion.

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"Wow, you really weren't kidding about getting rid of your coat. Aren't you going to be cold?" Kate watched as Castle stuffed his perfectly good jacket into the nearest trash bin outside the mansion. They were leaning against Kate's car, waiting for the M.E. to arrive and collect the body.

"I'd rather be a little chilly than—"

"—than what, Castle? Have _ghost_ essence all over you?"

"Hey! That was a real live human corpse that collapsed on top of me!"

"Castle, it g_razed _your back."

"And I suppose you think dry-cleaning would be enough to remove the heebie-jeebies off of it?"

"Really, Castle? Heebie-jeebies? Are you twelve?"

Castle crossed his arms, all petulant, "You know what? In regards to ghosts and the supernatural, yes, I _am_ twelve."

Kate bit the edge of her lip to stave off a smile. She'd been doing that a lot lately.

And Kate was pretty sure that Castle noticed every time, probably assuming it had something to do with her not encouraging his antics by outright showing amusement but in fact, it wasn't just that Castle's comments caused her amusement that made her want to smile.

There was something _effervescent_ about him, his personality. He encompassed a lightness that made Kate envious sometimes. When he was buzzing around her though, spewing his outrageous thoughts and without a filter on his imagination, she didn't feel that envy. Instead, what she felt was an uncontainable need to be surrounded by it, surrounded by him. It seemed a ridiculously easy emotion to describe and yet, it wasn't quite so simple: Happy. Castle made her happy.

"Hey," Castle nudged her arm and nodded towards the approaching flashing lights, "I think they're here."

As it wasn't Lanie and their usual team working tonight, Kate didn't bother to stay and chat after they assessed and loaded the body.

Castle had taken a cab over to her house so after he had slid into the passenger seat, she turned to him, "I'm driving you home, Castle?" she asked, though it was more a statement.

"Oh, you don't have to make the detour," he said, with a wave of his hand, "I can just take a cab back to my place from your apartment."

"Don't worry about it," she replied.

"No, no way," he said, "I'm the one who interrupted your evening with my adventure-seeking ways. It's a good fifteen minutes from your place to mine and it's getting late."

"It's not like I have a bed-time, Castle," Kate chuckled, "Besides our little adventure proved to be fruitful."

"So, you're happy you went ghost-hunting with me tonight?"

She looked over at him at the next red light. "You know what?" she said, giving him a wide smile, "I am."

Castle looked surprised at her sudden display of unguarded emotion. He turned it into a reciprocal grin. "And I'm sorry... about earlier… with the legs-grabbing…"

"Oh, you mean the _ass_-grabbing?" Kate said.

"It was dark! I couldn't see!"

"Sure, Castle. Any excuse to get a little handsy…"

"I wouldn't need an excuse if you just gave me permission, Detective Beckett."

Kate saw his smirk out of her peripheral vision and threw him one of her own. "Well, maybe you should try asking." Before he could conjure up a suitable response, she pulled up to his building. "See you tomorrow, Castle."

.

"Why don't you ever ask who it is at your door?" Castle burst through her front door the next morning carrying two cups – one of which he handed to her. "What if I was a random psycho-killer?"

Kate took the coffee gratefully, taking a huge gulp before answering, "You have a knock."

"I have a knock?"

"Yes," she said, walking towards her kitchen, "It's very… emphatic."

Castle trailed after her. "Emphatic?" he said, "How can a knock be 'emphatic'?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "I just know when it's you, Castle—"

"—like a Spidey-sense except you have a Castle-sense?"

"Yes, exactly like that, Castle." She shook her head, saving her smile for when she'd turned away from him, "And a random psycho-killer at my door? Do you really think they'd knock first?"

"Uh, clearly you haven't imagined scenarios in which the killer wants to take the victim by surprise and so he decides to—"

"Castle," Kate broke in, "Can we save your storytelling for later?"

"Only if you promise," he said, grinning. He seemed to notice her state of dress for the first time, "I think this marks the one and only occasion where I've been ready before you and you're not all prim and proper when I see you."

"Prim?" she responded, "Really?"

"No, you're right, you can't be prim with a motorcycle," he said, feigning deep thought, "How about 'hellion'?"

Kate smirked. "I prefer badass super-cop but I'll accept yours too."

"So then, why are we still standing around drinking coffee and not already super-copping our way to Lanie? I wanna know if I really got attacked by a dead Matt Benton yesterday."

Kate glared at him. "Well, I had a _late night_ or don't you remember?" She left her coffee cup on the kitchen counter and walked back towards her room.

"You know," Castle began suggestively, "I have other ways of keeping you up at night…"

Kate laughed. "I'll believe it when I see it, writer boy."

"Writer _man_," Castle shot back, "And is that a challenge, I hear?"

Kate reappeared in the doorway, her hair messily plaited. "Definitely not." This time, she made sure Castle saw her bemusement. She walked back towards him and made to grab her coffee when he suddenly leaned into her, his left hand against the counter in order to trap her on one side.

"You know, Kate," he said, her first name sliding off his tongue provocatively, "I do believe you're lying."

Without her heels, he had a few inches on her so she peered up at him through her thick lashes. She matched his tone. "Do you really want to play this game, _Rick_?"

He leaned forward a bit more and placed his left hand on her waist – a brief moment where every inch of their bodies seemed to align – and then he pulled away again, holding her coffee in his right hand. Before he let her have it back, he tugged a little at her braid and murmured, "This isn't a game, Kate."


	4. Robbers

407: _Cops __& __Robbers _addition. After dinner (of course).

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She's lying sprawled out on the couch, one arm across her stomach, the other across her forehead.

It's after dinner. The table has been cleared, the leftovers have been packed away, and the life-affirming atmosphere has faded to a dull and tired acceptance of its equally ephemeral nature.

His footsteps get louder as he makes his way from the stairs. He lies down in the same position on the carpet beside her. Her eyes open a crack as she twists her head to look at him. "I can make room for you up here," she says.

"I'm good on the floor," he replies, "You look too comfortable."

"I'm not the one who was being held hostage this afternoon," she says, "I'm surprised you're not milking it for all it's worth."

"Now does that sound like something I would do?" he asks, sounding slightly affronted.

She answers by way of a scoff and he smiles. "How's Alexis?" she asks.

She hears his shrug. "Dealing, I guess. She doesn't seem _too_ upset with her breakup."

"I think her brain is preoccupied worrying about other things."

He sits up then, resting on his knees and leaning an arm across the edge of the couch. "How was she today?" he asks, "Was she afraid? Should I be worried?"

She opens her eyes to meet his. "Of course she was afraid. You and Martha are all she's got." She doesn't mention the bit of misplaced anger she received from Alexis, knowing that the teen also has plenty of reasons to resent her place in her father's world.

"But, I don't need to take her immediately to therapy?"

"Oh, well, I don't know about that…" she says, humour lacing her answer, "What, with you as her dad and all."

"Haha," he says, nudging her side with his arm.

Amiable quiet descends upon them and if she hadn't already been a little loopy from the wine, Kate may have had something to say about Castle's attentive gaze on her face. Instead, she appreciates the fact that the two of them don't have to be speaking in order to communicate and she closes her eyes again. She expects him to be the one to break the silence and he doesn't disappoint.

"Hey, Kate?" he whispers.

"Mhm?"

"My mother's perfect timing kind of prevented me from doing something today."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." She feels him shift against her on the couch. "So, I'm just going to do it now."

"Sure, Castle," she replies noncommittally, readjusting her forearm over her eyes to block out the lights. She feels his fingers intertwining with hers on said arm, lifting it up and away, a moment before she feels his warm lips on hers. She blinks alert, her mouth opening slightly to inhale in surprise.

The tip of his tongue sweeps across her bottom lip, testing her. Instead of pulling away, like they both expect her to do, she sinks deeper into the cushions and grips his hand.

"You're the sweetest thing I've ever tasted," he says when he lets her go.

"That and freedom, right?" she replies, swiping her thumb across his lips. "You've got some strawberry lip-gloss on you," she says when he looks at her questioningly.

"Leave it." He kisses the pad of her thumb before moving on to the palm of her hand.

Maybe it was the alcohol or the late hour or the fact that he could have been blown up this afternoon, but Kate is strangely okay with him joining her on the couch and kissing his way up her neck.

He breaks away just long enough to say breathlessly, "Are we…"

"…this is fine," she murmurs, cupping his face with her hands and bringing his lips back to her own. She has her fingers in his hair and her tongue in his mouth in record time and when he nudges one of his legs between hers, she moans, "This is better than fine."

They continue to make out like teenagers until their lips are sore and they're breathless from the exertion.

"Wow," he says, brushing some of Kate's mussed-up hair away from her face, "Wow, wow, wow."

They manage to get themselves into an upright position, although the orientation of their bodies are still very much tuned to each other's.

"I don't want you to leave," he says, when it looks like she's about to get up.

"It's late," she says, but stays where she is anyway. She watches him watch their hands, letting his fingers play and intertwine with hers for a minute before she stops him with a gentle grip. "I've gotta go."

He stares at her – like he does – trying to see if there are any cracks he could weasel his way into, but he sees that she's truly made up her mind. Sighing, he slides off the couch, pulling her up with him so that the propulsion has her flush against his body. He tilts his head down to kiss her again and she welcomes the advance.

"Please don't forget about this tomorrow," he whispers, his lips right up against her ear so that it tickles.

She rests her forehead on his shoulder. "I can't… I don't know—"

"Kate, please look at me." His grip on her waist is tight and he radiates anxiety. "I—"

"—Castle—" her head lifts up and she sees. He's not just radiating anxiety, he radiates—

"—love—"

"—don't." Kate hushes him with her fingers against his lips. "Not now."

"When?" he says, with almost childish petulance.

She lifts a shoulder.

He nods. "But… tomorrow. You won't forget?"

She shifts her eyes away before she allows herself to find his. "You might have to help me remember."

He brushes his mouth against hers, halting her nervous habit of chewing on her lip. Pulling away, he looks at her with certainty. "I definitely will."

.

.

.

* * *

><p>AN: I'll be playing catch-up during the holidays. I hope you all haven't forgotten about me (though I wouldn't blame you if you did)...


	5. Heartbreak

408: _Heartbreak __Hotel_ addition. Jenny's bachelorette party.

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.

.

At one a.m., The Old Haunt suddenly got a whole lot rowdier as Jenny's bachelorette party danced their way through the front door.

"This girl's getting married!" yelled Liz, pointing enthusiastically at her cousin. "Who wants to buy her a drink?"

"Hey ladies," Castle shouted from behind the bar, "The first round's on me!"

A series of hoots and hollers followed Castle's announcement. "Tequila shots!" Liz exclaimed, leading, "We've been doing tequila shots all night!"

Castle lined up ten shot glasses on the bar, filling them all with _Jos__é __Cuervo_ _Gold_. A plate of limes and a couple of saltshakers followed.

Even though Kate was at the far end of the bar, furthest away from him, Castle's eyes drew immediately to her. And she knew it. Why else would she be taking her nice, sweet time licking the back of her hand in a way that was borderline pornographic? He wondered if she would be willing to let him do body shots… his mind was already imagining what her skin would taste like...

A chorus of "To Jenny!" interrupted his fantasies.

The shots were downed and faces were made and then the group of them moseyed to the back of the bar where they preceded to make a dance floor where there wasn't one.

Lanie nudged Kate when she saw how her best friend was lingering behind. "You go, girl," Lanie whispered conspiratorially; though, seeing as how she had a lot of alcohol coursing through her system, her whisper wasn't quite as quiet as she thought.

Still, Kate merely shook her head at Lanie before pushing her away.

"So, what did you guys do today?" Castle asked, watching as Kate slid towards him, unhurried.

The piece of lime was still in her hand and when she finally stopped in front of him, she made sure to suck it one last time before dropping it into one of the remaining empty shot glasses. "We went to a pole dancing class," Kate said with a coy smile.

"Too bad I don't have a pole in here or you could show me what you learned," he replied.

"Oh, I don't need a pole to show you what I learned, Castle," she said, voice low, "Just a willing participant."

He swallowed audibly. "Beckett, how many drinks have you had exactly?"

"Mmm—" she pretended to ponder "—I'd say there's a fair amount of alcohol impairing my judgment right now."

"Yeah," Castle said, "I bet." He plucked a highball glass off the counter and filled it with water.

Kate stopped him with a hand on his forearm. "No," she shook her head slowly – a teasing quirk on her lips his only warning – before, "Why don't you give me a S_creaming O__rgasm_, instead."

He let out an involuntary noise – one that came from the back of his throat but originated much further south. "How does that one go again?" he squeaked out.

"I'm surprised, _Rick._ And here I thought you were experienced and would know _exactly_ what it took."

He could only gape at her and then, she actually _laughed_ before leaning even further across the bar (now Castle could say with absolute certainty what colour her bra was) in order to point to the different liqueurs. "…Amaretto and don't forget the _cherry _on top."

"Kate," Castle groaned, "You're killing me here, you know that, right?"

She raised her glass to him before sauntering off to join the party.

.

"Sorry girl, this one's full." Lanie didn't look the least bit apologetic as she gestured to the cab she was splitting with three other people.

"Lanie, you did this on purpose." Kate crossed her arms.

"Wha-? Me? Nooo…" Lanie jabbed her thumb in Castle's direction, "But writer boy does have a car and I'm sure he'd be _completely_ obliging." As if to prove her point, Lanie shouted, "Castle! You mind giving Kate a ride?"

Castle either ignored or didn't hear the dirty way Lanie had said the word 'ride'. "Yeah, of course," he answered.

"See?" Lanie said, looking back at Kate.

"That's not the point, Lanie," she hissed, but her friend was already out the door and waving goodbye.

Kate walked back to the bar, slightly unsteady in her stilettos, where Castle was doing a final sweep of the place. She eased herself up onto a stool. "Lanie wants us to hook up tonight," she said, inhibitions still lowered enough by alcohol that she didn't feel the least bit self-conscious about it. "I think she has money riding on it."

He rounded the bar and walked towards her. "I would never take advantage of you while you're in such a… delicate state."

He stopped in front of her so that she had to tilt her head back to see his face. "I'm drunk, Castle, not bed-ridden."

"Any state in which Katherine Beckett is found stumbling on high heels is a cause for evaluation," he said with a chuckle.

She surprised him by slipping her fingers into the edge of his jeans, pulling so that he was standing in between her legs. "What if…" she started, eyes dark, "…I _want _you to take advantage of me?"

He cleared his throat and yanked at his collar. "Is it getting hot in here?"

She started fiddling with the button on this pants. "_Very_."

"Kate…" It was a warning laced with arousal and he was fighting it all the way. "You'll regret it in the morning."

Her hands fell back onto her lap. "You're right."

He blinked at her quick acquiescence. "I am?"

"Mhm." She slithered off her stool too quickly for him to back up. His breathing hitched as the lower half of her body pushed not-so-gently into his. She angled her head even closer to his so that she could whisper into his ear. "Castle…"

His response was a breathless "Yeah?"

A beat. Then two. Then, "_Take __me __home._" He felt her eyelashes brush against his cheek right before she pulled away.

Minutes later they were at his car and, after shutting the passenger side door, he looked up at the universe with slight vexation. "I better be getting something _really_ good for Christmas, Santa."

.

.

.

* * *

><p>AN: Too many double entendres? Yeah... I know... but it's _so fun_ to tease.


	6. Shot

409: _Kill __Shot_ addition. Months (and many therapy sessions) later.

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.

.

"Beckett, come on in," Castle says, propping the front door open until she had walked through.

Kate notices that Castle has gotten less and less surprised at seeing her show up at his door unannounced. Then again, she's also gotten more and more comfortable with him and his family for reasons she suspects but refuses to admit. So many things had shifted after the sniper case and acknowledging that yes, she might have a case of PTSD that needs to be worked on. All this means that she hasn't yet had time to ground herself in a still spinning room.

She steps through the threshold and lets him relock the door. "Thanks," she says.

"I'm just making Alexis breakfast," he gestures for her to follow him back into the kitchen, "Do you want some, too?"

Kate is about to shake her head but Castle has already cracked two more eggs into a bowl, bustling around to grab vegetables from the fridge. He closes his eyes and pretends to read her mind. "Let me guess," he says, index finger tapping his temple, "In your omelettes, you like: mushrooms, red peppers not green, spring onions instead of regular onions, sharp chedder cheese, tomatoes chopped up _really_ tiny—" his eyes open, "—and light on the salt and pepper."

Martha had walked into the kitchen in the middle of his recital. "My dear," she says to Kate, "Tell me he made that up."

Kate rolls her eyes to Castle's triumphant grin, "Unfortunately not."

Martha raises her eyebrows, "Richard, I think it's time you found a hobby."

"Beckett _is_ my hobby," he chirrups back.

Just as Kate is about to retort, Alexis bounces down the stairs – fully dressed in her school uniform. "Detective Beckett! Wh—"

"—Kate," she corrects with a smile.

"Right," Alexis plops down on the seat beside her, "What are you doing here? I mean, not that you need a reason."

"She's here for breakfast," Castle answers before Kate gets the chance.

Kate shrugs, "Sure, for breakfast."

Castle stops mid-omelette-flip. "Wait. Seriously? We don't have a case?"

Kate's cellphone rings and she pulls it out. A few nods and 'uh huhs' and she's back to slipping it into her pocket. She looks at Castle, "We do now."

.

On the way down the alley towards the crime scene, Castle doesn't stop pestering Kate. "So, if it wasn't for a case then why did you come over this morning?"

"It was nothing, Castle," she replies, quickening her steps just a little.

"Did you want to talk about something?"

"It wasn't important."

"So, it _was_ something?"

"We can talk about it _later_," she says exasperatedly. She stops his next words with a hand on his forearm. "We're at the crime scene, Castle."

"Fine," he huffs petulantly, "But I'm not letting this go."

"I'd be surprised if you did," Kate mutters as she walks over to Lanie. "What've we got?"

.

"Can we at least _acknowledge_ the possibility of a government conspiracy?"

Kate rolls her eyes as she glances over her shoulder at him, currently spinning in her chair. "Acknowledged," she says, snapping the suspect's picture onto the murder board, "And ignored."

"You have no sense of whimsy," he says.

She walks back to her desk, propping her right hand on the edge of the table to lean against it. "That's what I have you for." She hovers above him, "Now get off my chair."

He obliges and quickly shifts over to his own. "Yes, but what happens when I'm not around?"

"Where do you plan on going?"

The way she asks the question – in jest but with something more than a twinkle in her eyes – makes him tilt his head to observe her. "Nowhere," he replies, after a beat.

"Good," she says.

And there it is again.

"Why did you come over this morning, Kate?"

"Are we on that again?" she asks, not pausing or looking up at him from the file she's reading.

"Well, you never answered me."

"Can't I just come over, Castle? Does there need to be a reason?"

"No," he admits, "You're always welcome. You can come over any time you'd like… but you never have before. Not without an invitation, anyway."

She stops shuffling her papers around and looks at him, unblinkingly. "Maybe I want to start – when we don't have a case – maybe I want to start seeing you more."

He inhales sharply.

She doesn't comment. "Is that okay, Castle?"

He lets out a breath. "More than okay."

.

"Hi dad. Hey Kate," Alexis says, dropping her backpack near the foot of the stairs before joining her and Castle in the kitchen.

"How was violin?" Kate asks, tossing Alexis a green apple she had just washed.

Alexis takes a giant bite and shrugs her shoulders.

"That's teen-speak for 'fine'," Castle says. He places his hands on Kate's waist to get her to shift to one side of the sink.

"Yeah, I got that. Thanks, Castle," she replies, sarcastically.

"What're you guys making?" Alexis asks, leaning half her body over the counter to take a look. "It smells good."

"Chili," he answers, "Kate had a craving."

"Only because you and Espo were going on and on about it today."

"Not my fault you were eavesdropping."

"Hard not to when you got half the precinct betting on who could eat spicier food."

"Seriously dad?" Alexis shakes her head, "You cried the last time we had Indian."

"Hey!"

Kate laughs. "Thank god. I put a twenty on Espo."

"You're going to regret that," Castle says, "There's nothing I can't do with the right motivation."

Kate raises her eyebrows. "Is that so?"

Castle stops stirring the chili and reaches for Kate's elbow, pulling her towards him. "You wanna test me?"

"Oh, ew," Alexis says, jumping off the stool, "Is this gonna get gross?"

"Probably," Castle answers over Kate's chuckles.

"Just call me when dinner's ready," Alexis calls back, already halfway up the stairs.

"We can't keep scarring your daughter." Kate has her hands braced behind her as Castle crowds her against the counter.

"We're just making out a couple—"

"—try a few—"

"—probably more like many—"

"—more like a _lot__—_"

"—of times a day." He slides his hand up and under her t-shirt, fingers lightly brushing skin. "It's okay. We're still in the honeymoon period – we'll be forgiven."

"I'm surprised it took me this long," Kate murmurs as his lips caress her neck.

"To think, we could've been doing this _years_ ago."

"We were in my mind."

His head snaps up, eyes darkening even though he sees she's teasing. A breathless pause and then their mouths are crushed together, her arms wrapping around his neck to anchor herself.

He sucks on her lower lip and she lets out a little moan. "Your shirt needs to come off," he says, his fingers sliding under the edge of her bra.

She nods in agreement as her own hands make their way to the button on his jeans. "Maybe we should turn down the heat," she says on a gasp when he sweeps his tongue along her clavicle.

"What?"

"On the stove," she clarifies.

"Oh," he says, breathing hard, "Yeah. Let's do that." He turns the dial until it clicks off and then curls his pointer fingers into Kate's belt loops, dragging her backwards towards the bedroom.

* * *

><p>"How am I supposed to let go?"<p>

"_I can help you, but the question is, are you ready?"_

"Yeah, I think I am."

* * *

><p>AN: Something light and fluffy. Hope you enjoyed.


End file.
